It is well known in the gaming industry to replace one symbol for another. In video poker, for example, the player discards unwanted cards (or symbols) and keeps desired cards (or symbols). Another well known concept related to symbol changing is the wildcard or wild symbol. A conventional wild symbol normally operates to stand for each and every non-wild symbol of the game, so that the wild symbol produces any win that each non-wild symbol or each combination having that non-wild symbol produces, wherein the combination is created in conjunction with other non-wild symbols.
Referring to FIGS. 3A through 3C, three screens of a central display device 30 (described in FIGS. 1A and 1B) illustrate the known operation of a wild symbol. Screen 30 of FIG. 3A illustrates a wild symbol “W”, a heart and a cherry on one payline or one row of symbols of a slot machine gaming device. If the only non-wild symbols that the game includes are the heart and the cherry, then screens 30 of FIGS. 3B and 3C illustrate the complete effect of the wild symbol “W”. Screen 30 of FIG. 3B figuratively illustrates that the wild symbol stands for or in the place of a heart symbol on the payline or row of symbols. Screen 30 of FIG. 3C figuratively illustrates that the wild symbol stands for or in the place of the cherry symbol on the payline or row of symbols.
It is also known to provide a gaming device that changes one or more non-wild symbols into a wild symbol, whereafter the changed wild symbol stands for each and every non-wild symbol of the game. For example, in a base game of a gaming device having a plurality of reels and displaying a plurality of rows of symbols, known gaming devices can change one or more non-wild symbols on the same reel as a randomly generated wildcard symbol.
Wildcards or wild symbols are well known in base games as well as bonus games of gaming devices. For example, in video poker, a wildcard can stand in the place of any other numbered or face card. A wildcard can turn two sevens into three of a kind. A wildcard can also produce a “straight” in a hand otherwise having four of the set including an ace, king, queen, jack and a ten.
PCT application No. PCT/AU97/00121 entitled, Slot Machine Game with Roaming Wild Card, having a publication date of Sep. 4, 1997, discloses a bonus game example. In this application, a slot machine having a video display contains a plurality of rotatable reels with game symbols. When the player receives a triggering symbol or combination, the game produces a bonus or wild symbol. The bonus or wild symbol moves from game symbol to game symbol temporarily changing the game symbol to a wild symbol. If the change results in a winning combination, the player receives an award.
In known non-bonus gaming systems, i.e., in the base game having a plurality of reels, the games evaluate the effect of a wild symbol one time. Thus, if a wildcard creates a new winning combination on a payline of a known slot machine, wherein the payline already contains a winning combination separate and apart from the new winning combination via the wildcard, the known slot machine will pay the separate winning combination once and the new combination once via the wild symbol. Known games thus spins the reels, pay out the combinations, change non-wild symbols to wild symbols and pay out the combinations which include the changed symbols. They do not perform a total re-evaluation and pay all combinations again.
In general, gaming machines count winning combinations once. That is, when one or more symbols change and potentially create one or more new winning combinations, known games will credit the player for winning combinations prior to the change and then the new winning combinations, but will not repay non-changing combinations on a second evaluation. Gaming device manufacturers constantly strive to develop new games and new and exciting ways to award players.